When it comes to Hollywood heartthrobs, there's no denying that Brad Pitt comes in at the top of the list. Just look at his stunning eyes, his sparkling white smile, his chiseled body, and his amazing hair - he really is impossible to resist.

After leaving his family to move to LA, Brad was left broke and sleeping on a friend’s couch. He persevered though, becoming one of the biggest actors in Hollywood today. Over the years, he's starred in films of every genre, including romcoms, dramas, and even historical fiction films.

With his life out in the open for everyone to see, there isn’t much that fans don’t know about Brad. That being said, we were able to dig up a handful of things that might surprise some fans! Here are 20 of those things.

20 He Had A Humble Childhood

Born William Bradley Pitt, Brad’s childhood was a humble one.

According to purpleclover.littlethings.com, Brad was born on December 18, 1963, in Shawnee, Oklahoma to parents William Alvin Pitt, who ran a trucking company, and Jane Etta, who was a school counselor.

At a young age, his family moved to Springfield, Missouri, where he stayed until his late teens when he moved to Los Angeles to begin an acting career.

19 He Does Not Agree With His Families Religious Views

Brad and his siblings were raised in a strong, conservative Christian household, where they were raised to be Southern Baptists.

According to purpleclover.littlethings.com though, as he got older and started to think more for himself, he realized that his parents' religious views didn't match his, and he personally characterized more as an agnostic and atheist.

Back in 2008, the New England Historic Geological Society did a report that stated how Brad Pitt is distantly related to a United States President.

According to purpleclover.littlethings.com, Brad is distant cousins with a former president, and they are related through a man named Edwin Hickman, who died in Virginia in 1769.

That same report also stated that Angelina Jolie was related to the daughter of a former president as well.

17 He Was A School Reject

It’s hard to picture Brad Pitt not excelling at everything.

According to purpleclover.littlethings.com, in middle school, Brad tried to play on his school’s basketball team, but he didn’t have enough “game” to make the team.

Instead, he earned a spot on the lesser-skilled team, the Cherokee Rejects, a team for athletically-challenged students, which his father coached.

16 He Crashed On Melissa Etheridge’s Couch When First In L.A.

When Brad Pitt first left Missouri and moved to Los Angeles, he had nowhere to go.

According to purpleclover.littlethings.com, Melissa Etheridge, who was a singer/songwriter just starting out, took him in and let him stay on her couch.

Years later, rumors started to swirl that Brad had donated some of his little swimmers to Melissa and her partner. These rumors are false.

15 He Danced Like A Chicken For A Job

Before his acting career took off, Brad did a lot of different odd jobs to make ends meet.

According to purpleclover.littlethings.com, one of the jobs he took was for one of LA’s El Pollo Loco restaurants, and to try and drum up some business, he had to dance in the streets in a chicken costume.

14 A “Woman Of The Night” Helped Him Get Started

Another one of Brad’s odd jobs involved driving “exotic dancers” to bachelor parties in LA.

According to purpleclover.littlethings.com, one of the ladies he occasionally drove took acting classes, which is where he met acting coach Roy London.

Brad was quoted saying, “I learned so much from that man. I give him full credit for pointing me in this direction.”

13 His First Gigs Were On Television

Before he was making it big in the box office, Brad was doing smaller roles on television.

According to purpleclover.littlethings.com, his first starting role was a two-episode premier on the NBC daytime soap opera, Another World, which later led to him receiving a four-episode part on the CBS soap opera, Dallas.

12 He Was Once The Face Of Pringles

When it comes to acting, an actor who is just starting out will take any role they can get.

According to purpleclover.littlethings.com, one of Brad’s starting roles happened to be in a Pringles chips commercial back in 1989. At just 26 years of age, Brad had become the face of the chip brand.

11 He Can Thank Billy Baldwin For His Big Break

Brad Pitt’s first role that launched his career was as the small-time hustler, JD, in the 1991 film, Thelma & Louise.

According to purpleclover.littlethings.com though, he almost didn’t get the part. Supposedly, Billy Baldwin was supposed to play the role of JD, but he ended up backing out in order to take a bigger role in Ron Howard’s Backdraft.

10 He Got His First Starring Role From Robert Redford

After his small, yet amazing performance in the film Thelma & Louise, Robert Redford decided to give Brad a leading role in his upcoming film A River Runs Through It.

According to purpleclover.littlethings.com, this leading role is what launched his career and helped him get other leading roles in movies such as Interview with The Vampire, Legends of The Fall, and Seven.

9 He Was In Playgirl

Back in 1997, the magazine company Playgirl took questionable photos they found of Brad and his then-girlfriend Gwyneth Paltrow and turned them into a pictorial feature in their latest magazine.

According to purpleclover.littlethings.com, Brad was quick to file a restraining order against the magazine company, causing them to have to pull every issue off newsstands and cease distribution of the photos.

8 A Fan Once Broke Into His House

Back in 1999, a 19-year-old female fan broke into Brad’s home, dressed up in his clothes, and fell asleep in his bed.

According to purpleclover.littlethings.com, the young lady was discovered the next day by a housekeeper who was quick to alert the police. After she was arrested and appeared in court, Brad was given an injunction that stopped her from coming near him for three years.

7 It Was His Agent Who Helped Him Get With Jennifer Aniston

During his younger years, Brad dated a few big-time stars such as Robin Givens, Juliette Lewis, Gwyneth Paltrow, and even Friends star, Jennifer Aniston.

According to purpleclover.littlethings.com, Jen and Brad first met back in 1998 after their agents set them up on a date. They later married in 2000 but divorced five years afterward.

6 He Owns A Weapon

When Brad Pitt was just six years old, he was given his grandfather’s rifle.

According to purpleclover.littlethings.com, during an interview, Brad had this to say about his handy weapon: “It’s very strange, but I feel better about having [one of them]. I don’t feel safe. I don’t feel the house is completely safe unless I have one hiding somewhere. That’s my thinking, right or wrong.”

5 He Isn’t Ashamed To Be A Dropout

Back in 2000, Brad Pitt visited the University of Missouri to screen a documentary.

According to the purpleclover.littlethings.com, in his late teens, Brad attended the University of Missouri as a journalism major. His college experience only lasted two weeks though, and he later dropped out and moved to LA to become an actor instead.

4 He Knows How To Fly

When Brad first met Angelina, she already had her license to fly and he became inspired to also learn.

According to purpleclover.littlethings.com, Brad has a soft spot when it comes to WWII aircraft, which is why he dropped $3.3 million back in 2013 on a vintage Supermarine Spitfire.

3 He Has Dipped His Toes In The Wine Business

When Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt got married, they chose to do it over in France, where they also bought an estate in Provence called Chateau.

According to purpleclover.littlethings.com, in 2012, the couple released an amazing vintage of a rose wine. Sadly, when they released their whites, they didn’t do as well.

The pair, once known as Brangelina, later sold the property after their divorce.

2 He Had His Own Furniture Line

In 2012, Brad partnered up with a furniture designer called Frank Pollaro to come up with his own high-end furniture line.

According to purpleclover.littlethings.com, Brad has always had an interest in architecture and design since he was little. He even took time off in his acting career to go study under the renowned architect, Frank Gehry.

1 He Lives By This Philosophy

Brad Pitt lives his life around one quote that he has created.

According to purpleclover.littlethings.com, that quote goes, “By nature, I keep moving, man. My theory is, be the shark. You’ve just got to keep moving. You can’t stop.”

If we had to take a guess, we would have to say it means to never give up in life, to keep pushing towards your dreams, and to be relentless.

Source: purpleclover.littlethings.com